Fully autonomous passenger vehicles are designed or contemplated which are capable of driving themselves and any onboard passengers and/or cargo between locations without any input from a human driver. However in an autonomous vehicle, there is no reason for a passenger or cargo compartment unless the vehicle is transporting passengers or cargo. Thus, unless the vehicle is transporting passengers or cargo, the autonomous vehicle may spend a large amount of time moving an essentially empty vehicle between locations. This is wasteful of fuel.
In addition, the transportation needs of a user may vary with a given situation. If the user needs to tow a trailer, the user's conventional passenger vehicle may not have the capacity to effect the tow. Alternatively, the user's conventional passenger vehicle may be a pickup truck or sport utility vehicle with an engine and transmission engineered for transporting heavy loads. If the user wishes to take a long trip carrying a light or moderate load along a route consisting predominantly of expressway travel, a pickup truck or sport utility vehicle may not be the best choice for such a trip. Thus, the engine and transmission of a conventional passenger vehicle (even an automated passenger vehicle) is frequently not suited to the transportation need it is called upon to meet.